Communicating with Business Customers

ABSTRACT

A method including providing a business with a unified communications number for all types of customer communication and mapping the unified communications number to each address for the business issued by the communication service providers of the business. The method may also include routing communications addressed to the unified communications number to the appropriate the address as a function of the type of communication.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to communications methods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The modern age may best be characterized by the overwhelming amount of information transmitted between individuals for personal and business purposes alike. An increasing number of individuals and entities communicate increasingly frequently, exchange increasingly more data, by an increasing number of means.

It is typically important to both the business providing a service to a customer, and to the customer receiving a service from a business that a dependable and convenient communication link exist between them. Customers place a high value on receiving the products and services they have purchased from a business at the price and under the terms to which they have agreed, and businesses depend on satisfied customers to ensure their viability in a competitive market. To achieve these ends, communication between customers and businesses is paramount. Customers and business representatives must talk or correspond in writing to provide and receive information about products and services, provide and receive price quotes, negotiate and sign service agreements and resolve problems which may arise.

The typical contemporary business has kept pace with the technological advances in the field of communications which have increased and diversified the methods by which customers and businesses may communicate. This is demonstrated in FIG. 1, reference to which is now made, which shows an exemplary contemporary business card 10 for Busy Business Inc., an exemplary contemporary business. As shown in FIG. 1, the contact details 12 on business card 10 include a mailing address 14 for postal deliveries, a telephone number 16 for telephone calls, a fax number 18 for fax transmissions, an SMS number 20 for receiving text messages, an email address 22 for email transmissions, and a website address 24 for Internet access.

Both businesses and customers can benefit from the convenience afforded by the quantity and variety of communications options. For example, a customer having a busy day may find that he has missed the opportunity to call his service provider during regular business hours, but the options of contacting the business outside of office hours by fax or email remain available to him.

Ironically, as evidenced by the quantity of details shown on business card 10, it is the very increase and diversification of communication options which has itself created a communications impediment. The contemporary individual is typically overwhelmed with contact details, the majority of which he cannot hope to remember. He must be equipped at the very least with an address book, or preferably, with an electronic organizer. Keeping up with ever-increasing contact details, due to the advances of communications technology, and ever-changing contact details, due to physical relocations, area-code changes, communications service provider switches, etc. has graduated from a minor inconvenience to a more bothersome aggravation. The contemporary experience of writing a quick business email in the middle of the night which will be at its destination at the start of the next business day is a welcome one and a modern convenience. However, both unwelcome and inconvenient to a similar degree, is the “b as in boy”, “d as in dog” recitation required to provide an email address over the phone accurately.

Businesses in particular cannot afford to lose touch with their customers, and historically, in recognizing that it has been in their best interest to make it easier for customers to reach them, businesses have invested considerable efforts in minimizing the cost in both time and money for customers to reach them. These efforts have included business reply mail, which saves customers the cost of a stamp when communicating with the business and toll free numbers, which save customers the cost of a telephone call when calling the business. Businesses have also used toll free numbers with the name of the business spelling out the phone number using the alphanumeric keypad to help customers easily retain and retrieve their contact information. Telephone numbers have been set to jingles and seared into our memories by constant repetition on the public airwaves. However, in the modern context, these solutions are only partial due to the increased number of the means of communication and contact details.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exemplary representation of a contemporary business card;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary representation of the business card shown in FIG. 1, the contact details provided on which have been compacted in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is an illustration of an innovative contact details management system constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method including associating a communication nickname with a business for use with all existing types of customer communication.

Additionally, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method may include routing each communication for the business transmitted using the communication nickname in accordance with a communication access number associated with the type of the communication.

Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method may include having a compact contact detail for each type of customer communication which includes the communication nickname as a major portion thereof.

Still further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the types of communication may include mail, fax, telephony, mobile telephony, short message service (SMS), internet and email.

There is also provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method including providing a business with a unified communications number for all types of customer communication and mapping the unified communications number to each address for the business issued by the communication service providers of the business.

Additionally, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method may include routing communications addressed to the unified communications number to the appropriate the address as a function of the type of communication.

Moreover, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the unified communications number may be unique to the business.

Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the types of communication may include mail, fax, telephony, mobile telephony, short message service (SMS), internet and email.

Finally, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the providing may include selecting a temporary unified communications number, confirming with each the communication service provider that the temporary unified communications number is not being used by any other business and, if so, mapping the unified communications number between the business and the communication access numbers assigned to the business by the communication service providers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.

Applicant has realized that the inconvenience caused by an overabundance of contact details may be overcome by taking advantage of the means by which modern communications may be routed from one communications access number to another through central routing equipment and forwarding services.

FIG. 2, reference to which is now made, depicts a business card 30, which includes compact contact details 32 which may, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, replace the full-length contact details 12 provided on prior art business card 10, while not detracting from the full range of communication versatility provided by full-length contact details 12. Compact contact details 32 may all contain as their single or chief component a “communications nickname” uniquely associated with one business. For example, the communications nickname for Busy Business Inc. may be “*2879”.

As shown in FIG. 2, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one simple, short and generally easily remembered number such as “*2879” may be substituted for nearly all of the disparate and lengthy contact details of a business. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the single contact detail “*2879” replaces the mailing address, phone number, fax number, text message number and website address of Busy Business, Inc. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, some contact details, such as email address 36 shown in FIG. 2, may have a prefix or suffix appended to the communications nickname. In the case of compact contact details having prefixes or suffixes appended to the communications nickname, it will be appreciated that the communications nickname remains a unifying element between all of the compact contact details for a single business.

Compact contact details 32 for a business may comprise fewer communication access numbers (CANs) 34 than full-length contact details 12. For example, it is shown in a comparison between FIGS. 1 and 2 that there may be a reduction from six CANs (indicated by reference numerals 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24) in full-length contact details 12 to two CANs in compact contact details 32.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3, which illustrates a compact contact details coordination unit (CCDCU) 40, operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in conjunction with currently available types of communications service providers (CSPs) 42. CCDCU 40 may be employed to coordinate assignments of unique communications nicknames 60 to businesses 44. CCDCU 40 may compose a database 46 in which an association between each business 44 and its assigned communications nickname 60 may be recorded.

Each communication service provider 42 may provide one type of communication service to businesses 44 and may, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, maintain and operate a database 52 and a router 54 for routing each unique communications nickname to its proper address. As shown in FIG. 3, exemplary CSPs 42 providing communications services to business 44 may include a post office 42 a, one or more telephone service providers 42 b, one or more cellular phone service providers 42 c and one or more internet service provider 42 d.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each CSP 42 may operate and maintain a database 52 and a router 54. The data in each database 52 of each CSP 42 may include the names of the businesses served by the CSP, the full-length contact details assigned to each business by the CSP, and the compact contact details assigned to each business by the CSP. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, compact contact details coordination unit (CCDCU) 40 may coordinate the availability of communications nicknames for assignment to businesses 44 with CSPs 42. A unique communications nickname may be assigned to a business 44 when it is determined by CCDCU 40, through examination of all databases 52, that the nickname has not been assigned to any other business.

When a communication is initiated by a customer using a compact CAN, the CSP 42 handling the communication may employ its muter 54 to route the communication to its correct destination according to the data stored in its database 52.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, innovative CAN “*2879” may* be associated with prior art address 14 of business 44 in the post office database, so that the post office may forward deliveries addressed to “*2879” to the Glass Building offices of business 44. Such a forwarding may be through a mechanism similar to the mail forwarding mechanism currently available from post offices. Alternatively, post office 42 a may have a more sophisticated method for collecting mail addressed to a communications nickname.

Telephone company 42 b may route voice calls placed to “*2879” to telephone number 16. For facsimiles sent to CAN *2879, when telephone company 42 b detects the sounds of a facsimile machine, it routes the phone call to fax number 18 for the business associated with *2879.

Cellular phone call carriers may similarly maintain databases to route calls received to innovative CANs. The routing of telephone calls of any kind may be according to existing call forwarding mechanisms. Alternatively, many telephony service providers include the ability to mute *xxxx type phone numbers and thus, may utilize this option. Other mechanisms for routing CAN *2879 may also be available and are included in the present invention.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, customers may also use the communications nickname “*2879” to contact business 44 by text message (SMS). The service provider for the text messages (e.g. a cellular telephone operator 42 c, internet service provider 42 d) may route text messages addressed to compact contact access numbers to an account on an internet server, such as one provided by Cellact of Raanana, Israel, where the text messages may be retrieved by business 44, or they may be forwarded to an account accessed on a computer located at business 44.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, customers may also type the communications nickname “*2879” into a web browser and may be routed to the website of business 44. An exemplary muting mechanism may be available through the combined operation of two applications, Netex of Israel and bweb.co.il of Israel. Netex may translate communications nicknames to the bweb.co.il website and the bweb.co.il website, through its associated database 52, may translate input phone numbers, such as the communications nickname, to regular URLs, such as the actual website address of the company.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, customers may also send emails to business 44 at an address containing the communications nickname of business 44. As shown in FIG. 2, an email address for business 44 may include a domain name (i.e. “csp.com”) in addition to its communications nickname. Emails addressed to “*2879.csp.com” may be forwarded by the server receiving these emails to a different email address designated by business 44. In a database 52 associated with the email server, each business 44 may be associated with its communication nickname, and the forwarding email address for business 44.

While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: routing a plurality of electronic communications, each of the plurality of electronic communications being routed by one of a plurality of communication service providers (“CSPs”), each of the plurality of CSPs providing one of a plurality of electronic communication service types, each of the plurality of CSPs operating at least one database, and each of the plurality of CSPs operating at least at least one router, the routing comprising: receiving a first electronic communication from a customer when the customer accesses a first communication service type provided by a first CSP, the first electronic communication comprising a compact contact detail (“CCD”); querying a first database operated by the first CSP for a first destination corresponding to the CCD; using a first router operated by the first CSP, routing the first electronic communication to the first destination corresponding to the CCD; receiving a second electronic communication from the customer when the customer accesses a second communication service type provided by a second CSP, the second electronic communication comprising the CCD; querying a second database operated by the second CSP for a second destination corresponding to the CCD; and using a second router operated by the second CSP, routing the second electronic communication to the second destination corresponding to the CCD.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the using the first router further comprises uni-directionally routing the first electronic communication to the first destination, and wherein the using the second router further comprises uni-directionally routing the second electronic communication to the second destination.
 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving a third electronic communication from a customer when the customer accesses a third communication service type provided by a third CSP, the third electronic communication comprising the CCD; querying a third database operated by the third CSP for a third destination corresponding to the CCD; and using a third router operated by the third CSP, routing the third electronic communication to the third destination corresponding to the CCD.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein, access of the customer to at least one of the first communication service type or the second communication service type does not require an internet service provider.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein: the first CSP operates a first access link configured to transfer the first electronic communication from the customer to the first router; the first router is configured to query the first database; the second CSP operates a second access link configured to transfer the second electronic communication from the customer to the second router; and the second router is configured to query the second database.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein access of the customer to the first CSP is isolated from access of the customer to the second CSP.
 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising: updating the first database operated by the first CSP with first CCD information; and updating the second database operated by the second CSP with second CCD information.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein: the first CCD information maps the CCD to the first destination; and the second CCD information maps the CCD to the second destination.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first destination and the second destination are the same destination.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein: the first destination is issued to a business entity by the first CSP; and the second destination is issued to the business entity by the second CSP.
 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first CCD and the second CCD are assigned by a compact contact details coordination unit (“CCDCU”) external to said first CSP and second CSP.
 12. The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving a request from a business entity for an assignment of the CCD; using a compact contact details coordination unit (“CCDCU”): determining whether or not the CCD is being used by the first CSP; and determining whether or not the CCD is being used by the second CSP; and issuing the CCD to the business entity, externally to routing systems of said first CSP and said second CSP, when the CCD is: not being used by the first CSP; and not being used by the second CSP.
 13. The method of claim 1 further comprising: using the first router, identifying the CCD as corresponding to a valid destination for the first type of electronic communication; and using the second router identifying the CCD as corresponding to a valid destination for the second type of electronic communication.
 14. A method comprising: assigning a compact contact detail (“CCD”) to a business entity, the CCD corresponding to a plurality of contact details, each contact detail issued by an independent communication service provider (“CSP”), the assigning comprising: receiving, at a compact contact details coordination unit (“CCDCU”), a request from the business entity to assign the CCD to the business entity, the CCDCU being external to each independent CSP; using the CCDCU to examine, via a first communications link, a first routing database, the first routing database maintained by a first CSP; using the CCDCU to determine whether the first routing database comprises first routing instructions corresponding to the CCD; using the CCDCU to examine, via a second communications link, a second routing database, the second routing database maintained by a second CSP; using the CCDCU to determine whether the second routing database comprises second routing instructions corresponding to the CCD; using the CCDCU to deny the request of the business entity when the first routing database comprises the first routing instructions or the second routing database comprises the second routing instructions; and if the first routing database does not comprise the first routing instructions and the second routing database does not comprise the second routing instructions, using the CCDCU to assign the CCD to the business entity by: configuring a first router operated by the first CSP to route a first communication comprising the CCD to the business entity; and configuring a second router operated by the second CSP to route a second communication comprising the CCD to the business entity.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the CCD comprises an asterisk and four alphanumeric characters.
 15. The method of claim 13 wherein the CCD consists of an asterisk followed by four alphanumeric characters.
 16. The method of claim 13 wherein: configuring the first router comprises, using the first communication link, transmitting to the first CSP a first relationship linking the CCD and the business entity; and configuring the second router comprises, using the second communication link, transmitting to the second CSP a second relationship linking the CCD and the business entity.
 17. The method of claim 13, wherein: the first relationship comprises a first mapping of the CCD to a first contact detail assigned to the business entity by the first CSP; and the second relationship comprises a second mapping of the CCD to a second contact detail assigned to the business entity by the second CSP.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the CCD comprises fewer characters than the first contact detail and fewer characters than the second contact detail.
 19. The method of claim 13 wherein: the first CSP provides a first communication service type; and the second CSP provides a second communication service type.
 20. The method of claim 19 further comprising: at the first router, receiving a first communication from a first customer; routing the first communication to the business entity based on the first routing instructions; at the second router, receiving a second communication from a second customer; and routing the second communication to the business entity based on the second routing instructions; wherein: the first customer is a customer of the first CSP; and the second customer is a customer of the second CSP.
 21. The method of claim 20 wherein: the first CSP provides the first customer access to the first communication service type; and the second CSP provides to the second customer access to the second communication service type.
 22. The method of claim 21 further comprising: using a first access link, transferring the first communication from the first customer to the first CSP without decisioning whether to route the communication onto the internet or world wide web; and using a second access link, transferring the second communication from the second customer to the second CSP without decisioning whether to route the communication onto the internet or world wide web.
 23. The method of claim 21 wherein the first communication type is only a cellular phone carrier.
 24. The method of claim 21 wherein the second communication type is only a non-internet enabled telephone carrier.
 23. A method of updating a mapping, the mapping associating a compact contact detail (“CCD”) to a plurality of contact details, the method comprising: at a compact contact details coordination unit (“CCDCU”), receiving from a business entity an update to the mapping, said update providing an updated plurality of contact details; when the updated plurality of contact details includes a first updated contact detail, transmitting from the CCDCU the first updated contact detail to a first CSP in order to update the mapping of the CCD at the first CSP; wherein the transmitting comprises accessing a first router database maintained by the first CSP, the accessing the first router database comprising enabling a first router to route the CCD to the first updated contact detail; receiving at the CCDCU, from the business entity, a second update to the first mapping, said second update providing a second updated plurality of contact details; when the updated plurality of contact details includes a second updated contact detail, transmitting from the CCDCU the second updated contact detail to a second CSP in order to update the mapping of the CCD at the second CSP; and wherein the transmitting comprises accessing a second router database maintained by the second CSP, the accessing the second router database at the second CSP comprising enabling a second router to route the CCD to the second updated contact detail.
 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the using the enabling the first router to route the CCD to the first updated contact detail comprises uni-directionally routing the first electronic communication to a first destination, and wherein the enabling the second router to route the CCD to the second updated contact detail further comprises uni-directionally routing the second electronic communication to a second destination.
 25. The method of claim 23, wherein access of a customer to the first CSP is isolated from access of the customer to the second CSP.
 26. The method of claim 23, wherein the first CSP supports a first communication type and the second CSP supports a second communication type.
 27. A communications coordination unit comprising: a communications nickname database, said communications nickname database associating each of a multiplicity of businesses with its communications nickname; and a determining unit, configured to determine if a common communications nickname is available for a business across analog and digital communication service providers of said business; wherein said communications nickname database is configured to communicate with router databases of said communications providers when said communications nickname database is modified, wherein each said router database comprises an address database for its associated communications provider associating at least some of said multiplicity of businesses with their respective addresses as issued by said communications provider; and wherein each router database is associated with a router which routes communications to said respective addresses as issued by said communications provider and which uses said communications nickname to route communications using said nickname to said respective addresses as issued by said communications provider to each said business.
 28. The communication coordination unit of claim 27, wherein, when each said router database is modified, the router is configured to route communications using said communications nickname to said respective addresses as issued by said communications provider. 